Shawn Layden on Sony’s strategy regarding PC releases

[Gizmo_Duck]

• Initiative started during Shawn presidency
• Goal was to show PC users what PlayStation can offer
• He doesn't think that just because Sony releases some games on PC people will buy console but some will
• There was no downside releasing titles that reached sales saturation on consoles

 

[Gizmo_Duck]

I’m glad he did this podcast because it put me up on a great black gamer podcast

 

[Captain Crunch]

Can't wait for Sony to do day&date(it's going to happen whether this gen or next).

 

[Gizmo_Duck]

Can't wait for Sony to do day&date(it's going to happen whether this gen or next).

I doubt it. The only way that happens is if sony stops producing hardware

 

[Captain Crunch]

I doubt it. The only way that happens is if sony stops producing hardware

They bought a studio known for porting(Nixxis). Whether it's during the PS5 gen or PS6 gen, it will happen. Outside of ppl on Twitter/msg boards, most console users aren't on PC and vice versa, day&date wouldn't hurt Sony's console sales.

 

[Gizmo_Duck]

They bought a studio known for porting(Nixxis). Whether it's during the PS5 gen or PS6 gen, it will happen. Outside of ppl on Twitter/msg boards, most console users aren't on PC and vice versa, day&date wouldn't hurt Sony's console sales.

Nixxes is a team of 45 people. They aren’t going to porting major new releases, day of. They are gonna be focusing on legacy titles on the ps4 for the majority of teh generation, they aren’t even doing the uncharted collection on pc.

You’ll be lucky to get most of the ps4 greatest hits collection on steam by 2026.

And while day&date releases probably wouldn’t hurt it doesn’t really help either. Sony makes the same amount of money with a staggered release schedule, if not way more from people double dipping on pc.

Most people even on this board with good PC’s own consoles. The sales don’t slow down if they wait to release it on pc, it only benefits them more from the people that will either buy a PlayStation eventually or double dip.

Uncharted 4 and lost legacy are already 6/5 years old as of 2022, and they are about to release them on pc and probably sell another 2 million copies

 

[Diondon]

Can't wait for Sony to do day&date(it's going to happen whether this gen or next).

lol

 

[winb83]

Can't wait for Sony to do day&date(it's going to happen whether this gen or next).

Never going to happen.

 

[MeachTheMonster]

Never going to happen.

Y’all said Sony games would never happen on PC period.

Fact is PC and console are two increasingly different markets.

The entire gaming market is moving away from exclusive content.

Sony may be one of the last holdouts but eventually they gotta do what’s best for the bottom line.

They will probably hold their biggest titles to an exclusive console period, but ultimately if a game isn’t selling consoles it’s better off being released on as many platforms as possible.

 

[Gizmo_Duck]

Y’all said Sony games would never happen on PC period.

Fact is PC and console are two increasingly different markets.

The entire gaming market is moving away from exclusive content.

Sony may be one of the last holdouts but eventually they gotta do what’s best for the bottom line.

They will probably hold their biggest titles to an exclusive console period, but ultimately if a game isn’t selling consoles it’s better off being released on as many platforms as possible.

Thats literally what they said, once they reach their sales saturation point they release them on pc. Nothing about that states day 1 releases, the complete opposite.

Sony is basically just releasing those games for extra left over sales opportunity and increased visibility of their IP. There is no financial incentive for them to do what Microsoft is doing.

Also, Sony’s 1st party software is valued way higher than microsofts

 

[MeachTheMonster]

Thats literally what they said, once they reach their sales saturation point they release them on pc. Nothing about that states day 1 releases, the complete opposite.

A couple years ago they would have claimed their games weren’t coming to PC period. They are still trying to sell consoles.

With that said it’s clear the direction the industry is going.

Most games don’t sell consoles, therefore their “sales saturation” is over with day one.

We see Sony’s strategy as they decided which game will be “next gen” exclusives or not.

The huge games that will sell numbers wherever they are released will start coming to PC sooner and sooner.

The games they feel they can strategically use to sell hardware will come later.

Sony is basically just releasing those games for extra left over sales opportunity and increased visibility of their IP. There is no financial incentive for them to do what Microsoft is doing.

Most games releasing Day one on PC won’t hurt their sales on PS5. There’s no financial insensitive to hold those games off PC till a later date. In fact they sell less by holding them to PlayStation.

Also, Sony’s 1st party software is valued way higher than microsofts

not even sure what this has to do with Microsoft.

Sony stans

 

[humminbird]

seems like a low cost/low risk penetration strategy

 

[Gizmo_Duck]

A couple years ago they would have claimed their games weren’t coming to PC period. They are still trying to sell consoles.

With that said it’s clear the direction the industry is going.

Most games don’t sell consoles, therefore their “sales saturation” is over with day one.

We see Sony’s strategy as they decided which game will be “next gen” exclusives or not.

The huge games that will sell numbers wherever they are released will start coming to PC sooner and sooner.

The games they feel they can strategically use to sell hardware will come later.


Most games releasing Day one on PC won’t hurt their sales on PS5. There’s no financial insensitive to hold those games off PC till a later date. In fact they sell less by holding them to PlayStation.

not even sure what this has to do with Microsoft.

Sony stans

Most games don’t sell consoles, yet the switch and ps4 say different. It’s clear a lot of your perception is based on microsofts release strategy as they’re the only console manufacturer out of the 3 that are doing day 1 releases.

Uncharted 4 is pretty much a free game at this point on PlayStation 5 with ps collection and they’ve given it away on ps4 and have had it on sale for like 5 bucks already.

They are releasing these two games on pc for full price again and its gonna sell another million copies. Same thing with Horizon Zero Dawn, they gave it away for free this year, and its 20 dollars right now without a sale on ps store. It’s 50 dollars on Steam.

Why you think that doesn’t benefit sony mroe than the same day strategy i don’t know.

 

[MeachTheMonster]

Most games don’t sell console, yet the switch and ps4 say different.

No they don’t. PS4 highest selling exclusive sold about 20 million.

Theres around 120 million PS4 consoles in homes.

So that means only about 15% of PS4 owners even give a fukk about its biggest exclusive game.

When it comes to the smaller games, they don’t really sell consoles at all

It’s clear a lot of your perception is based on microsofts release strategy as they’re the only console manufacturer out of the 3 that are doing day 1 releases.

What I’ve said has nothing to do with Microsoft.

It’s clear to see the direction the industry and Sony themselves are going.

Games being locked to one platform will be a thing of the past in the near future. Nintendo might hold on the longest cause that’s the only way they make money. Everyone else will do what makes the most economic sense.

 

[Gizmo_Duck]

No they don’t. PS4 highest selling exclusive sold about 20 million.

So that means only about 15% of PS4 owners even give a fukk about its biggest exclusive game.

i could understand this line of thinking if sony only had one exclusive.


Those 120 million ps4 owners bought a PlayStation if not for god of war, bought it for spider-man or uncharted, or horizon, or ghost of tsushima. Etc, they also buy it because thats what their friends play on, and their friends probably bought it for one of those games

Exclusives do sell consoles. That doesn’t mean god of war sold 120 million ps4’s

Another example, i didn’t buy a switch for mario odyssey, i bought it for Breath of The Wild. Yet, i still bought a switch to play zelda, I’m one of those people that had a game sell me on the console. Someone else probably bought a switch for smash bros or mario kart. Those are system sellers, it doesn’t mean those games had to be bought by a majority of Nintendo owners